Our Story
No Fluff.No Filters.Just the Real Dish.
We built this for the woman who is done being told to age gracefully and ready to live boldly. The one who wants real answers, real stories, and a community that actually gets it.
The Real Dish
150+ episodes
Meet the Host
Hi. I'm Mareya. I'm so glad you're here.
I started The Real Dish podcast in 2020 because I was a re-newlywed in the age of a global pandemic, going through perimenopause and feeling completely overwhelmed and frustrated with the wellness industry's inability to guide me towards feeling well. I wanted a place where I could find answers — the hormones, the body changes, the crazy, big, heaving shifts — and share them with you, along with a dose of humor and straight-shooter love.Because, sis, we are not broken. We are just starting our new era.
I'm a certified brain health coach, holistic nutritionist, fitness athlete, author of Eat Like You Give a Fork, inventor of Eat Cleaner products, and a global traveler who really started pursuing her dreams at age 40. I was a featured chef on 3 seasons of Recipe Rehab, appeared on Next Level Chef Season 5, and partnered with The Daniel Plan to help thousands eat and live better.
This new platform is everything I wish had existed when I was trying to figure out who I was becoming. I hope it feels like home to you.
Credentials & Accomplishments
More Than a Podcast
Mareya brings decades of real-world expertise — in kitchens, on television, in wellness programs, and on shelves worldwide.
Author
Eat Like You Give a Fork
A no-nonsense guide to clean eating that became a go-to resource for women ready to take back their health — without giving up flavor.
Television
Next Level Chef — Season 5
Competed on Gordon Ramsay's hit Fox series Next Level Chef, bringing culinary expertise and fearless energy to one of TV's most intense cooking competitions.
Television
Recipe Rehab — 3 Seasons
Featured as a chef on 3 seasons of the beloved cooking show Recipe Rehab, transforming family favorite recipes into healthier, delicious versions without sacrificing taste.
Wellness Partnership
The Daniel Plan
Collaborated with The Daniel Plan — the faith-based wellness movement founded by Rick Warren — to help thousands transform their health holistically.
Inventor & Entrepreneur
Eat Cleaner Products
Created and launched Eat Cleaner, a line of food-grade wash and wipes that makes eating clean produce simple, safe, and accessible for every household.
Podcast Host
The Real Dish — 150+ Episodes
Built a quarter-million-listener community from scratch, delivering honest conversations about wellness, midlife, travel, and everything in between.
Certified Coach
Brain Health & Nutrition
Certified brain health coach and holistic nutritionist — bringing science-backed, practical guidance to every episode, article, and conversation.
Community Builder
250K+ Monthly Listeners
Grew The Real Dish into one of the top wellness podcasts for women 40+, creating a space where real talk, real stories, and real support live.
How We Got Here
The Story So Far
From a borrowed microphone and zero listeners to a quarter-million-strong community — here's how The Real Dish grew.
The Real Dish podcast launches — born out of a global pandemic, perimenopause, and a refusal to feel broken.
First 10,000 downloads. The community starts to find each other. Weekly episodes on mental health, resilience, and reinvention.
Crossed 100,000 total downloads. Named a "Top Wellness Podcast for Women" by three publications. Launched the website and blog.
Expanded to cover travel, creativity, and food. 150+ episodes strong.
Expanded the team. Added expert contributors in nutrition, fitness, and mental health. Reached 200,000 total downloads.
Reached 250,000 monthly listeners. Still no plans to be anyone other than ourselves.
What We Stand For
Our Values
These aren't words on a wall. They're the reason we show up every week.
Radical Honesty
No toxic positivity. No pretending midlife is all green smoothies and gratitude journals. We tell the truth — the messy, complicated, beautiful truth.
Real Conversations
The kind you have with your best friend at the kitchen table at midnight. Unfiltered, unscripted, and actually useful.
Evidence Over Hype
We bring in experts who deal in science, not trends. When we talk about nutrition, hormones, or fitness, we cite our sources.
Adventure at Any Age
We believe the second half of life is for expanding, not contracting. Travel, try new things, take up space. You've earned it.
Strength Over Shrinking
We're not here to help you get smaller. We're here to help you get stronger — physically, mentally, and in every room you walk into.
Community Over Competition
Women supporting women isn't a slogan here — it's the whole point. We rise together, full stop.
The Community
You're NotAlone in This.
250,000 women tune in every month. They're in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. They're navigating perimenopause and empty nests and career pivots and solo adventures and second acts they never saw coming.
They're your people. And this is your place.
Get in Touch
Let's Connect
Whether you want to pitch a guest spot, collaborate on a project, or just say hi — we'd love to hear from you.
Send Us a Message
We'll get back to you as soon as possible.